Kobe had the eyes you wouldn’t want your girlfriend to give you. They meant business…no…annihilation. They said without saying, “Get out of my way.” That is, of course, on the court, at practice, in the weight room, and in his business acumen. Those eyes demanded respect. Above all, this Mamba Mentality brought out the best in his opponents. And it’s bringing out the best in a horde of public artists all over Los Angeles. Now, a new Kobe and Gigi mural has captured the attention of the late NBA Champion’s widow, Vanessa Bryant.
The mural by artist Tehrell Porter highlights a side of Kobe we were just beginning to see before the tragedy; the father, husband, storyteller, and advocator of women’s basketball.
The new Kobe and Gigi mural on the corner of Venice and Broadway features a striking monochrome portrait of Gigi, who died among her father and 7 others in the wretched helicopter accident in Calabasas, CA on Jan. 26, 2020.
Gigi’s eyes are open in Porter’s detailed work of art. She faces forward as if staring into the lens of a camera. A wind gust seems to be tossing her long, flowing hair aside in a frenzy. A closer look reveals a subtle profile headshot of her father, Kobe, entwined inside of her exquisitely rendered mane.
Vanessa Bryant thanked Porter for his work in a heartfelt Instagram post. Porter titled the mural, “I Got This.” It is one of many public murals LA artists have portrayed of Kobe and Gigi since the accident.
